Ohio man, 41, leaps to his death by plunging from balcony of Colombian hotel, police reveal
An Ohio man died after he leapt from a hotel in Colombia.
James Perry, 41, was having a get-together with a group of foreigners and locals in his third-floor room and jumped from the balcony on Thursday night in Medellín.
Hotel staff heard a loud sound made by Perry’s fall and found him lying in the garden and called the police.
Paramedics rushed Perry to Medellín West Clinic, where he underwent an emergency operation.
He was pronounced dead as a result of his injuries shortly after midnight on Friday.
A National Police spokesperson confirmed that Perry's death was 'ruled a suicide.'
James Perry (seen here in Dubai in January) reportedly jumped from the balcony on a hotel in Medellín, Colombia, on Thursday evening and died at a clinic shortly after midnight Friday. Authorities are investigating the incident surrounding the death of the 41-year-old Ohio resident
According to Colombian news outlet El Colombiano, James Perry was found by hotel workers in the garden area before the police were called. Paramedics rushed the 41-year-old Ohio resident to Medellín West Clinic, where he underwent an emergency operation and later died
Online news portal El Colombiano reported that Perry had recently arrived in Medellín to vacation.
Witnesses said that he suddenly jumped from the balcony without saying anything.
Perry is the 35th foreign tourist who has died while vacationing in Medellín and the Arrubá Valley in 2024. At least 16 of the victims were Americans.
Of the 35 deaths, 14 were reported in the Medellín neighborhood of El Poblado and seven in Laureles. Six of the deaths were registered as suicides.
James Perry (seen here during a November 2023 visit in Medellín) is the 35th foreign visitor to die in Medellín and the Arrubá Valley in 2024
James Perry (pictured during an October 2023 trip to Medellín) is one of 16 American who had died in Medellín in 2024
Mexican national Horacio Pérez, 54, was shot dead on June while dining at a restaurant in the Medellín neighborhood of Provenza. Three suspects were arrested.
American Clifford Wilke, 66, was found dead in his room at the Dann Carlton Hotel on June 28 after the staff checked his room because they were missing checkout information.
Chilean actor Alex Araya was found dead at a Medellín Airbnb on June after inviting two women to his rental following their Tinder date. The two women were last leaving the rental two hours after their arrival.
The United States Embassy in Colombia warned travelers about the use of dating apps in January.
The advisory was issued after the deaths of eight Americans in Medellín between November 1 and December 31, 2023.
The embassy said that several of the deaths pointed to 'possible drugging, robbery, and overdose and several involve the use of online dating applications' and stressed that tourists should 'strongly consider meeting only in public places and avoiding isolated locations, such as residences or hotel rooms, where crimes are most likely to occur.'
